Q2 2019

33 | Q2 2019 Apr19030 Far removed from the law firms of times past, the legal industry is realigning itself to embody an altogether more ‘open’ ethos, embracing a modernity that their predecessors, arguably, lacked. Julia & Rana Solicitors very much fit this mould, thriving through an undisputed expertise in their field of work whilst also working to ensure that their services are the very definition of client-centric. Inam explains more: “When it comes to client care, we believe that the aspects that make a successful client service essentially comes down to reassurance towards the client, transparency in dealing with their matter and the ability to clearly communicate with them. We try our best in providing a service to clients where they are able to trust that our team is working their hardest to ensure that the outcome of their matter is positive and meets their needs.” This care extends to all tiers of the firm, with an emphasis placed on ensuring that the company culture reflects a need for diligence, and consideration, regardless of the challenges or complexities of the case at hand. “As a High Street firm, the culture in the firm revolves around openness, and maintaining a friendly environment so that everyone feels part of a team. It is essential to keep that kind of culture in a law firm so that everyone is valued for the part that they are contributing. Our main agenda in our relationship as colleagues is that no one should feel that they are being over-worked or are spending too many hours in the office, therefore we try and promote breaks and social time away from the office to build team spirit and a healthy mental state.” Julia & Rana Solicitors is, above all, very contemporary in its outlook and Julia & Rana Solicitors : A Future Leader of the Legal Industry Established in 2016, Julia & Rana Solicitors is a litigation, immigration, family, conveyancing and employment firm with offices in Central and East London. Following their recognition as the ‘Best Emerging Immigration Law Firm’ in the city in SME’s 2019 Legal Awards, we spoke to the firm’s Principal Solicitor, Inam Rana, to find out more about their expertise and services. character- fitting for a firm at the very forefront of their industry. This approach has, in turn, informed the firm’s ability to tackle a notoriously volatile area of law and thrive, as Inam continues. “The legal profession is a very fluctuant one to be in, especially considering that laws and regulations are constantly changing. We work with immigration law extensively, one of the areas of law that is in constant uncertainty. The reason that businesses working in this area of law, such as ours, face challenges is that every caseworker must extensively research every change and amendment in the law. When an area of law is that fluctuant, it is quite difficult to ensure that everyone has up to date knowledge on the area, which is why employees are given assignments to research the relevant changes and make case notes accessible to everyone else. One of our main aims is to ensure that employees working with cases have enough knowledge to proceed with cases efficiently and effectively.” Yet, Inam recognised that the key to securing success in the market relied on diversification, expanding naturally into other areas as the firm established itself. To this day, this has helped differentiate them from no end of competition. “It is widely accepted that the legal profession is very challenging, and to succeed as a newly emerging law firm, we set ourselves apart by diversifying practice areas. We practice in Litigation, Intellectual Property, Family law, and Employment law. Our firm started off as an Immigration law firm and has expanded into different practice areas to be able to cater to a higher variety of matters.” Perhaps surprisingly, the future of Julia & Rana is focused entirely on ensuring that every aspect of the firm is prepared for the years ahead, as they adapt to the changes in the industry. “We are particularly interested in modernising our take on casework at this point. We used to be a paper-based law firm, but we are slowly making a shift towards a paperless company. This is an effort to be environmentally friendly, but also to streamline our practice to cater to the growing number of online forms and applications that are being used in various court proceedings and Home Office applications. It is vital that law firms are able to make this shift as technology is starting to play an increasingly larger role in legal practice.” Company: Julia & Rana Solicitors Address: 68 King William Street, London, EC4N 7DZ, United Kingdom Website: https://www.juliaranasolicitors.co.uk/ Telephone: 0207 112 8818